Stopper



A. MOELLER Aug. 3, 1954 sToPPER Filed sept. 15, 1950 INVENTOR 4AXELMOELLER Patented Aug. 3, 1954 STOPPER Axel Moeller, Racine, Wis.,assigner to yMoeller 'Mfg.'Co., Racine, Wis., a corporation of'WisconsinApplication September 13,1950, Serial No. 184,610

1 claim. l

This invention appertains to .bottle and jar *Stoppers or closures, andis an improvement over `A my prior Patents Nos. 2,347,835, dated May 2,f1944; 2,292,149, dated August 4, 1942, and "2,315,538, dated April 6,1943.

`Oneof the primary objectsof my present invention is to provide anexpansible stopper for large mouthed jars, such as so-called picnic jugslor jars, for efficiently sealing such jars and jugs andat the same timepermit the convenient in- 'sertion and withdrawal of the stopper in thejar i or jug mouth.

Another salient object of my invention is to :provide a novel elasticand resilient stopper body Fof an annular form with novel means for supzporting and compressing the body longitudinally Fto insurethe properengagement thereof with the linterior of the neck of the jar or jug andparticularly at the pouring lip Aportion thereof.

A further objectof my invention is to provide lmeans for forming theannular body, whereby .when the body is compressed longitudinally, it

.will initially expand radially in an outward direction at a point abovethe lower end thereof, whereby to insure the proper sealing engagementofthe body with the'neck adjacent to the mouth thereof.

A further important object vof the invention is to provide novel top andbottom supporting and compressing'plates for the annular body, where-"by not only will the body be effectively supported,

but lwhereby the body will be properly guided into frits neck engagingposition upon compression of :the body.

lAfurther objeot'of'my Vinvention is to provide aiiexible bottom wallintegral with the resilient '.'body, the wall having a-centrallydisposed open- 'ing for snugly receiving the stud or shank car- "ried'by the bottom supporting and compression plate, whereby vthe body willbe accurately centered in the stopper relative to the compression platesand adjusting means and where- "by `aprotecting wall is formed forpreventing the vploy upper and lower Figure 2 isa similar view, butshowing the stopper in its expanded'position for sealing the Jug.

Figure' 3 isafragmentary top plan view of the stopper. l

Figure e is a horizontal sectional view through the'stopper taken on thelined- "4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of 'thearrows Referringto the `drawing in detail, wherein similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts Ythroughout the several views, the letters' generally indicates the improved stopper, which is particularlyuseful for association with a large mouthed jug or jar J.

The jar Vor jug J forms no part ofthe present invention -and'canincludean insulated wall 5 and a neck -6. -As illustrated, the neck-Bfcan be provided with-an inturned bead y'I-at its pouring lip, butV itis to be understood that the stopper S can be effectively used with jarsor jugs having v-a straight neck in lieu of the-inturned bead.

'The ystopper S; includes the 'annular resilient and compressible body8- preferably formed from rubber or the like andthe outervsurface oftheIbody can -be provided with thefannular ribsv 9 in accordance with mypriorPatent No. 2,315,538.

lFormed integral'with the` lower end ofthe stopperbody isaiiexiblesealing and `centering wall Il'l4 and this vwall .maisprovidedwith anaxially disposed opening Il for a purpose which willlater appear. If desired, .the wall I0 can be thickened forreinforcement, as the same approaches the Vopening II. It is to be alsonoted that the annular body Ill adjacent to its ylower end isgradually-thickened toward the VYbottom wall I0, as at I2, the purposeof the thickened portion I2 will also later appear.

In conjunction with the annular body B, Iem- -compression and supportingplates I3 and I4. The plates are `preferably but not necessarily formedYfrom stainless steel,

' and these plates are of a 4special tor-In as will be described.Secured to the axial center of the lower plate III, is the threaded stemor shank I5, and the stem has threaded thereon the sleeve nut I6. Theupper plate I3 is provided with an axially disposed opening whichslidably receives the sleeve nut I6. The shank I5 can be rigidlyconnected to the lower plate I4, in any desired way, but as shown, inFigures 1 and 2, the shank is preferably flanged over the top and bottomfaces of the plate I4, as at I'I, to form a rigid structure and toprevent the leakage of material between the shank I5 and the plate I4.The shank is also provided with an annular seat I8.

Connected -to the upper end of the sleeve nut I6, by means of a pivotpin I9, is the operating cam 29 and the cam is adapted to engage theupper face of the top plate I3. If desired, a. wear washer 2| can beplaced between the cam 20 and the plate I3 and the plate I3 can becentrally depressed as at 22, to receive the washer. An annular upstruckbead 22 surrounds the depressed portion 22 and forms a stop for thedownward movement of the cam 20 and determines the setting of the lockedposition of the cam.

As in my previous patents, the cam 20 can be initially used for turningthe sleeve nut l to bring the plates I3 and I4 toward and away from oneanother for adjusting the body 8 to an approximate desired diameter andafter such initial adjustment, the cam 20 can be swung to its loweredposition, as shown in Figure 2, for longitudinally compressing the body8 to expand the same into the desired sealing Contact with the interiorwall of the neck 6.

'Now referring to the top plate I3. the same is provided with an annularchannel 23. adjacent to but spaced from. its periphery, which forms aseat for the upper end of the annular body 3. Particular attention iscalled to the fact that the upper wall 24 of the channel inclinesupwardly and outwardly toward the periphery of the plate I3 and thepurpose of this will also later appear. The channel 23 is above theplane of the main portion of the plate, and hence the upper edge of thebody 8 is above the plane of the major portion of the plate.

The lower plate I4 is provided with an upwardly pressed annular channel25 and the edge of this channel inclines downwardly and outwardly toprovide an inclined supporting lip 28, on which a portion of the loweredge of the body V8 rests when the body is compressed.

In operation of the stopper, the cam lever 20 is swung to a verticalposition, as shown in Figure 1, after which the stopper is bodilyinserted within the neck 6 of the jar or jug J. By turning the cam lever20, as heretofore stated, the body 8 can be initially compressed andafter which the cam lever can be swung down to the operative position asshown in Figure 2, and the body 8 will then be compressed to itsgreatest extent and into intimate contact with the neck 16. It is "ohighly desirable that in the longitudinal compression of the body 8,that the body intimately.

contact the neck and seal the same at the upper end thereof. As the body8 is thickened at its lower end, as initially above this thickenedportion, and due to the inclined wall 24 of plate I3 and the inclinedlip 2B of plate I4, the body will tilt to a limited extent on the platesso as yto permit the proper outward iiexing of the body 8. This forms anexceptionally eincient structure and the desired seal is obtained.

at I2, the body will tend to bow The opening II in the flexible wall l0snugly receives the seat I8 of the shank I5 and this opening I I can beof a slightly less diameter than the seat, if desired, so that a sealingengagement will be had between the wall of the opening I I and the seatI8. This ei-ectively prevents the entrance of foreign matter into theinterior of the body 8 through the bottom of the stopper. The wall I0and the opening II is highly desirable, in that the same provide anaccurate centering means for .the body 8, the shank I5 and the plate I4. Obviously, the nut sleeve I 6 correctly centers the top plate I 3.

Changes in details may be mad-e without departing from the spirit or thescope of this invention, but what is claimed as new is:

A stopper comprising an annular compressible body, a bottom supportingand compressing plate, a top compression plate, adjusting means con--necting the plates including an axially disposed shank on said bottomplate having an annular seat adjacent Ito said plate, said bottom platehaving an upstruck annular bead terminating in an outwardly anddownwardly inclined lip receiving the lower edge of the body and saidupper plate having an annular channel receiving the upper end of thebody, said channel being provided with an outwardly and upwardlyinclined top wall for engaging the extreme upper edge of the body, saidlip and said inclined wall forming guides for the outward flexing of thebody upon the adjustment of the plates toward one another, and said bodybeing interiorly thickened toward its lower end directly above the beadand its lip, said thickened portion terminating short of the centralhorizontal axis of the body, and a flexible bottom wall on said bodyhaving an axial opening snugly engaging said seat, whereby, upon theadjustment of the plates toward one another, the body will bow initiallyabove said thickened portion and will tilt to a limited extent on theinclined lip and top wall of the respective plates.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS vNumber

